late today, president obama told a crowd in illinois he is very pleased republicans are finally ready to let reform move forward. >> susie: here are the stories in tonight's "n.b.r. newswheel." that fed decision to keep rates low helped stocks; the dow rose 53 points, the nasdaq added a quarter of a point, and the s&p 500 added 7.5. big boards volume headed lower while nasdaq volume stayed about the same as yesterday with 2.7 billion shares trading hands. it looks like talks are back on between united airlines parent u.a.l. and continental airlines. published reports say continental's board is meeting today to discuss a potential deal and will likely meet again on friday. if combined, united and continental would be the world's largest carrier by traffic. shares of palm are soaring in after hours trading, up 28%. late today hewlett packard announced a deal to buy the smartphone maker. we'll look at the billion dollar deal in tonight's "market focus". and still ahead, you've heard the name for years, but ethan allen's new take on american style may surprise you. tonight's "shop talk" t